Community shocked after Sunderland boy hit by bus and killed

Craig Thompson

A TWELVE-YEAR-OLD has been killed after he was hit by a bus as he made his way home from school.

The boy, a pupil at Venerable Bede CofE Academy, had been crossing Ryhope Street in Sunderland when he was struck by the Go-Ahead single decker bus at about 3.30pm yesterday.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the Year Eight youngster was pronounced dead at the scene.

School friends gathered close to the accident scene, some crying as they realised their friend had been fatally injured.

Passers-by rushed to the scene to help, as emergency services were called.

Witnesses, neighbours and local shop workers watched on as efforts were made to resuscitate the youngster.

Michael Robertson, 33, who lives nearby, said: “The bairns came in and said the lad was under the front driver’s side of the bus.

“He wasn’t moving, and had one arm outstretched.

“There were loads of people who rushed over to help. When the paramedics arrived, they started pumping his chest, but he looked like he was in a pretty bad way.” Another man, who lived on Ryhope Street South, was passing the scene after picking his grandson up at Ryhope Infants School.

He said: “The first thing I heard was a thud. I thought someone had thrown a boulder at the bus then I turned round and the lad was lying underneath.

“He had a school uniform on and everyone was saying he was from Venerable Bede.

“It was terrible, you could see it was a bad accident.”

Police cordoned off a large section of Ryhope Street, as investigations got underway.

Shocked staff from nearby shops watched on as efforts were made to establish exactly what happened. The schoolboy, who was with pals at the time of the accident, is understood to be from the Ryhope area. The bus had been travelling from Ryhope Street South, up the bank, close to a grassed area when the collision happened.

The road was sealed off as officers redirected rush-hour traffic away from the scene.

Chief Inspector George Maratty, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is a deeply tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the boy who died.

“Specialist officers are carrying out inquiries to establish exactly what has happened and specially trained officers are supporting the family of the boy.

“I would ask anyone with information to contact us as soon as possible.”